2020 MEL Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Marine Environmental Science

The 2020 MEL Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Marine Environmental Science (URF) encourages undergraduate students to pursue science and technology careers by providing research experiences at the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (MEL), Xiamen University.

Eligibility

Fellowship requirements:

• Currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics);
• Be interested in pursuing a career in marine environmental science and/or technology.

How to apply

Application process.

MEL will solicit undergraduate research projects from MEL faculty, and post the possible project list in March on the website. Applicants must submit their completed applications by April 30 via: https://mel.xmu.edu.cn/fellowship/login.asp  The system will open on March 12.  Applications must include:

• Online application form (I);
• Contact details and information for two sources of recommendation (The program coordinator will contact them for letters of recommendation);
• Scanned copy of your transcript with grade point average (GPA)/ranking, with the official seal/signature of the Dean's office from the home institution;

（In consideration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the electronic transcript downloaded from the school website can be submitted first and the original version with the official seal can be submitted on arrival）

• A scanned copy of other supporting documents, such as awards and honors, published papers, and proficiency in English (if applicable);
• Proof of accident insurance. If you do not have coverage, MEL will purchase relevant insurance for you; the cost will be deducted from your subsidy.

Note: Materials of 3)-5) need to be uploaded in ONE PDF file.

The Fellowship committee will review the applications and applicants will be notified of the decision by mid-May.

Other

If you can't find your research interest on the posted project list, applicants can contact other MEL faculty and inquire about possible research opportunities. With the consent of the faculty, applicants can then submit applications beyond the above deadlines. The Fellowship committee will review and notify applicants of the result.

      Applications must include:

• Online application form (II);
• Contact details and information for two sources of recommendation (The program coordinator will contact then for letters of recommendation); one of the references must be the potential supervisor at MEL);
• Scanned copy of your transcript and grade point average (GPA)/ranking, with the official seal/signature of the Dean's office from the home institution;（In consideration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the electronic transcript downloaded from the school website can be submitted first and the original version with the official seal can be submitted on arrival）
• A scanned copy of other supporting documents, such as awards and honors, published papers, and proficiency in English (if applicable);
• Proof of accident insurance. If you do not have coverage, MEL will purchase such insurance for you; the cost will be deducted from your subsidy.

Note: Materials of 3)-5) need to be uploaded in ONE PDF file.

Benefits

• MEL will cover round-trip travel expenses. According to the financial regulations of XMU, economy class flight tickets (up to $1000 USD for students from Asia, up to $2000 USD for students from other continents) for international students, and train or bus tickets for Chinese mainland and Hong Kong students will be provided.
• Free accommodation on campus and a subsidy (1700 RMB per month pretax).
• To better support the Fellowship, a research grant of 5000 RMB will be provided to the supervisor of each project.

Program Implementation Schedule

• Successful applicants need to complete their research project at MEL in 1-3 months.
• Once notified of their acceptance, students must contact the supervisor to discuss and prepare for the project.
• Students are required to attend regular security trainings organized by the Centre of Major Equipment and Technology (COMET) and equipment trainings of their research group.
• In addition to their research, students are also welcome to take full advantage of the facilities, seminars and field trips offered by MEL (organized between July 15 and July 30).
• Xiamen University participants are required to form a local committee, help to coordinate academic and social activities, and provide assistance for participants from other institutions.

Program Finale

• Students must do an oral presentation in their research group, and submit a poster presentation to MEL by the end of the fellowship.
• Any related project outcomes or publications must acknowledge the support provided by the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (Xiamen University) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Contact Us

Program Coordinator:

Ms Lun Cai, +86-592-2186039 cailun@xmu.edu.cn

http://mel.xmu.edu.cn